GMC Sierra 1500 HD Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 45 consumer complaints across the 4 model years of the GMC Sierra 1500 HD (2001–2005) that have at least 5 complaints. 2003 has the most, with 16. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (25 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Sierra 1500 HD model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 11 | 85,000 | 0 | 233 | — | Not enough data |
| 2003 | 16 | 97,250 | 0 | 111 | — | Stable |
| 2002 | 9 | 104,000 | 0 | 87 | — | Not enough data |
| 2001 | 9 | 94,001 | 0 | 73 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Brakes25 50%
- Electrical system6 12%
- Fuel system5 10%
- Engine4 8.0%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)3 6.0%
- Transmission and drivetrain3 6.0%
- Body and structure2 4.0%
- Steering2 4.0%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2005: “A car drove through an intersection in front of me as I was driving on a city street, march 3, 2018. I hit the brakes and turned away from the vehicle. My brakes failed, brake pedal went to the floor as I was stopping. Brake line near lh fr.t wheel busted and brake fluid shot out. Lucky I turned away as I was braking that I missed the other vehicle. The other vehicle also turned away from me and then drove away.”
NHTSA complaint #11076217, filed 2018-03, 105,000 miles2002: “This is the second time a brake line has burst on this truck. This is dangerous. I had the truck taken to local shop and was told all brake lines are in danger of rupture. How can Gmc put this junk steel in their brake lines? When people start getting killed if they havent already maybe something will be done. I smell some lawyer getting rich here.”
NHTSA complaint #10626240, filed 2014-08, 114,000 miles2003: “No warning on my 2003 Gmc truck speedometer started going from 70 MPH to 120 and beyond when in reality I was going probably 30 MPH. This could be a safety issue because a man needs to know how fast he's really going after a little research there's alot of GM owners who don't know how fast there going recall anyone.”
NHTSA complaint #10375299, filed 2011-01, 135,000 milesOther GMC models
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology